Summary
Baldur’s Gate 3has proven to be a very successful game, and there have been rumors suggesting that the streaming platform Netflix is in talks to produce a live-action adaptation of the award-winning game. In recent years, there has been an increase in live-action adaptations of popular game franchises being produced and announced, fromHBO’s adaptation ofThe Last of Us, to Paramount Plus’sHaloadaptations.
It would be a nice change of pace for Netflix to produce an animated adaptation ofBaldur’s Gate 3, especially after all the live-action adaptations of games that have been released in the last few years. There is even aGod of WarandHorizonlive-action adaptation in the works with Amazon Prime and Netflix. As much as it would be interesting to see what Netflix would do with a live-action version ofBaldur’s Gate 3, the case for an animated adaptation is even stronger.
Why a Baldur’s Gate 3 Animated Adaptation Would Be Successful
The Animated Shorts by Mashed Have Been Highly Praised By Baldur’s Gate 3 Players
In recent months, the developer ofthe award-winningBaldur’s Gate 3, Larian Studios, has collaborated with the YouTube channel Mashed to create three animated shorts, which have proven to be incredibly popular among players ofBaldur’s Gate 3. So much so that it could be argued that these animated shorts could be the foundation of a perfect animated adaptation. These short animations have been highly praised by fans ofBaldur’s Gate 3for their art style, humor, and creative writing. One could argue that such a success with those animations is proof that an animated adaptation would be a major success.
Not only are fans calling for an animated adaptation, but there are also advantages to having an animated adaptation. An animation could have any art style, from Japanese anime to the style used in the mashed shorts. Not only are there no limitations on creativity apart from the budget, but the talented ofcastBaldur’s Gate 3would be able to return to their respective roles without any issues.
The Original Cast Would Be Able to Voice The Characters
One of the many things that has helpedBaldur’s Gate 3’ssuccess is the talented cast of actors. From Neil Newbon’s award-winning performance ofthe vampire rogue, Astarionto Devora Wilde’s stunning performance of the fierce Githyanki warrior Lae’zel, as well as the rest of the incredible cast ofBaldur’s Gate 3. The previous animated shorts starred the original cast, and once again proved that an animated adaptation would be the way forward.
With many live-action adaptations of games, most of the original cast do not reprise their roles. However, that isn’t to say that if a live-actionBaldur’s Gate 3show or movie were to happen, that the original cast wouldn’t be able to return.Astarion’s actor, Neil Newbon, has previously stated that he would love to be cast as Astarion in a live-action adaptation if he were given the chance.
How An Animated Adaptation Could Work
A Baldur’s Gate 3 Adaptation Could Be Given ‘The Witcher’ Treatment
The Witcheradaptation has been a huge success for Netflix, and ever since the first series was launched, there has been one miniseries, an animated film, and another upcoming animated film giving Netflix a collection ofThe Witcherfilms and shows. If Netflix does produce a live-actionBaldur’s Gate 3, then perhaps there could be an opportunity for a mix of animated and live-action shows or films.
An animated prequel series that focuses onthe backstories ofBaldur’s Gate 3’scompanionswould be a perfect opportunity alongside an adaptation ofBaldur’s Gate 3, and it would give Larian Studios the chance to further explore the history of the games' beloved companions. It would certainly be fascinating to find out more about Astarion’s time before becoming a vampire, Karlach’s life before and after becoming Zariel’s champion, and Wyll’s childhood and journey to becoming a Warlock and serving Mizora, as well as seeing other companions’ backstories coming into fruition on screen. There are many other different types of animated shows based onBaldur’s Gate 3that Netflix could do, such as:
The Pros And Cons Of Netflix Producing a Baldur’s Gate 3 Adaptation
Netflix Has a History of Cancelations
Netflix is infamous for canceling live-action shows. Even popular shows that bring the platform high viewing figures - for example,Shadow and Bones has been canceled by Netflix, as well as other shows likeThe Dark Crystal: Age of ResistanceandI Am Not Okay With This. Most live-action shows are canceled after one or two seasons, so a live-actionBaldur’s Gate 3would have a greater risk of cancelation, even if it was successful and popular, further proving the case for an animatedBaldur’s Gate 3adaptation.
However, this is not to say that an adaptation wouldn’t work, there are many ways it could work and bring aboardBaldur’s Gate 3’spassionate fans, such as casting the original actors to play their characters, having the writers at Larian Studios work on the adaptation, and the showrunners, or creators taking their own creative license likeThe Witcherseries producers did, which inevitably forced Henry Cavil to quit the show.
Previous Animated Netflix Shows Have Been a Huge Success
If rumors are true about Netflix being in talks to make aBaldur’s Gate 3adaptation, then a good case for an animated adaptation is Netflix’s animated shows.Netflix is home to a variety of successful animated titlessuch asThe Dragon PrinceandVoltron: Legendary Defenders, which were both given the saga treatment, meaning that Netflix gave the producers of the shows 7 seasons.
Animated shows on Netflix are often overlooked due to the sheer amount of live-action shows that are released on the streaming platform, and aBaldur’s Gate 3animation would surely help Netflix’s animations stand out more, especially after how successful the game is.
